


Blackout at Wayne Manor

by ChoPyrus_Writes



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Familial Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Halloween, Humor, Implied/Referenced Recreational Drug Use, M/M, Mild Language, Post Vigilante Ending, Spooky, Wayne Manor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-11 01:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16465781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChoPyrus_Writes/pseuds/ChoPyrus_Writes
Summary: It was nearly 10 o’clock on Halloween night, when a raging Gotham storm turned the lights off in Wayne Manor, plunging its inhabitants into darkness. Though, John, Bruce, and Tiffany could definitely find something to do to pass the time, namely, playing 'Never Have I Ever' and getting scared by Halloween themed stories and their own stupidity.





	Blackout at Wayne Manor

**Author's Note:**

> This contains spooky things, like bugs, spiders, the dark, and ghosts! So beware!!!
> 
> I will offer free burial services to anyone who dies of fright reading BLACK OUT AT WAYNE MANOR. MUWAHAHAHA!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Credit to my editor [Lainpinky131](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lainpinky131)!

John Doe, Tiffany Fox, and Bruce Wayne were huddled together in one of the mansions many parlors. Their plans of a friendly get-together were suddenly put on hold at nearly 10 o’clock on Halloween night, as a raging Gotham storm turned off the lights in Wayne manor, plunging its inhabitants into a thick darkness.

 

It was Tiffany who broke the quiet that engulfed them first. Not with words, however, but with a loud and long groan.

“Are you kidding me!?” Tiffany shouted into the room, which had suddenly silenced as the loud hum of the many appliances and heaters had been shut off.

John, unlike Tiffany, found the situation hilarious. He couldn’t keep in the giggle that came from his mouth. “Geez, it’s pitch black in here!” He shouted to nothing.

Bruce, the only rational one of the trio, was only mildly surprised. “I guess the storm killed the power,” he stated to himself.

“Bruce!” Tiffany yelled out, not quite knowing where Bruce was in relation to her.

The last they saw was all three of them sitting together on two separate couches. She hadn’t moved from her lounged position, but given where Bruce’s voice came from, it seemed like he had stood from where he and John had been cuddling.

Tiffany continued, “How does _Wayne Mansion_ have a power outage? Don’t you have a back-up generator?”

Bruce shrugged, despite not being seen by either of his guests. “We do, the only problem is I’m not sure it still works. We haven’t replaced it in years.”

John jumped up from the couch, his arms smacking into Bruce’s side. “We don’t need lights!” John exclaimed and paused. He chuckled in a low voice, “It’s _way_ scarier in the dark.” John let out another giggle, this one however was deep and dripping with exhilaration.

Tiffany groaned again, “Can you not!? Now is the _worst_ time to make a creepy laugh. You sound like a banshee.”

John recoiled, “That’s rude.”

“I’m going to go check on the generator,” Bruce cut in, interrupting the two. “You both wait here.” Bruce turned around and walked carefully around the living chair.

He stopped however when Tiffany scoffed; Bruce looked in her direction.

“You’re going to find the generator in the dark?” She paused, “I mean, I’m not trying to doubt the ‘ _Great and_ _mystical Batman_ ’” She said mockingly, and then continued. “But, you got a flashlight on you?”

Bruce paused and smirked. Without a word, he raised a hand to tap the hearing aid that rested in his ear. And with an almost silent click, a glowing ring appeared in Bruce’s contacts.

John stared in amazement, while Tiffany leaned back. “Oh,” she said, unimpressed. “Bat-contacts.”

John laughed and rang his hands together. All they could see was two floating purple eyes in the blackness. “Now I know where you are, buddy! So cool!”

Bruce looked around himself, trying to figure out the best route to the generator. Bruce had only ever been to the mansion’s basement a few times in his life, Tiffany even less so. Those kinds of things he mostly left to Alfred. Though, as Alfred was away—on vacation to England for a visit to his family there, Bruce was left with no other choice.

“I’ll go check on getting the power bac— Who’s stroking my leg?”

There was a pause in the room, until Tiffany chimed in. “It’s not me!” She said defensively.

The hand crawled up Bruce’s hip then receded, and John snickered. “Oops! My hands slipped, honest!”

Bruce sighed with a laugh. “I’ll be back soon,” he said as he was about to turn away once more, but this time he was stopped by John making a noise of excitement.

“Wait! I want to come with!” John grinned.

Bruce squinted his eyes, an odd sight from Tiffany and John’s point of view. Bruce hesitated, “Uhm- what?”

“You heard me!” John clasped his hands together. “Some spooky, scary exploration of the bowels of _Wayne Manor._ ”

Bruce rubbed at his temple. “T-That’s really okay. It’ll be better if you both—”

Tiffany jumped up from her spot on the couch. “I don’t want to wait here alone! I’ll come too. Besides,” she crossed her arms, “You might need a genius’ help.”

Bruce sighed. There was no point in arguing, he decided. Tiffany and John had already made up their minds. “Okay,” Bruce said reluctantly. “I guess we’re all going to the basement. But remember to stay behind me,” he started, looking to the two as he maneuvered around the couches, “because unlike you two, I can actually see what’s in front of—”

Bruce’s own words were interrupted as his foot collided with an ottoman and he fell to the floor.

The room was silent for a few seconds as Tiffany and John waited in surprise.

“Bruce?” Tiffany asked, “Did you just trip?”

There wasn’t a reply until they heard a quiet, “No…”

 

* * *

 

Of course, it wasn’t that interesting of a walk. Tiffany and John had followed behind Bruce, hanging onto each other like a lifeline. When the three had reached the door to the basement, Bruce walked down the stairs without a hint of hesitation.

Tiffany and John however only stared down into the darkness. The minuscule amount of light that came from the windows was now gone. Once in the basement, they’d _really_ be in the dark.

“You two coming or not?” Bruce yelled up at them. He hadn’t even waited for them before pressing on. “Watch your step,” he warned.

Tiffany shrugged, “Well, I volunteered, so I might as well go.” Tiffany clung to the railing as the two hesitantly descended into the depth. “If I trip,” she said to John, “I’m using you to break my fall.”

John threw his head back in a laugh, “Only if you can grab me first!”

The two then chased after Bruce into the neglected basement, his presence was little comfort with the cold cement floors and undusted brick walls. Careful to avoid running into each other or the metal air ducts that hung low from the ceiling, John came up beside Bruce and wrapped himself around Bruce’s arms, interlocking their fingers.

“You’re not getting scared, are you?” Bruce asked.

John leaned his head on Bruce’s shoulder. “I would be if you weren’t here,” Bruce could practically hear John’s grin as he spoke. He could hear the purr in his words when John nuzzled closer to him.

Bruce was at lost for words. “O-oh.”

John giggled at how obviously flustered he made him. His laugh was cut short however by John accidentally walking head first into a stack of small boxes. He practically threw himself from Bruce to haphazardly try to catch the falling cardboard boxes and missed every single one. “Ah, crap!” He exclaimed.

Bruce simply chuckled and turned to enter a smaller room off the hall.

“Oh, nice one John!” Tiffany called out, farther behind than the two.

John stepped away from the pile of boxes now on the floor, kicking a few of them away. “It’s not like I could see it!”

Bruce tried to focus himself on checking out the circuit breaker, and not on his boyfriend wreaking havoc in his basement. Bruce also noticed that on a shelf to his side was an old flashlight, which he quickly grabbed. “You know,” he called out to them, “You two can wait upstairs?”

John scoffed, “That’s no fun, Brucie! It’s not scary up there! And what if you get attacked down here? Deadly boxes can come out of nowhere!”

Tiffany nodded, “Yeah, and you might need help. I can lend you a hand.”

Before Bruce could respond, Tiffany let out a sudden shriek, which startled both him and John. Bruce rushed out of the room and into the hall to check on her but stopped sharply.

“I just walked into a cob web! Ah, gross!” Tiffany cried.

John groaned in disgust, “Oh, I hate spider webs!”

Bruce slapped a hand to his face with a sigh. “Just wait back in the parlor,” he said and looked to John. “Here, catch.”

Without even thinking, Bruce tossed the flashlight to John, having forgotten that to John and Tiffany, they were in complete darkness.

John tried to lift his hands to catch whatever Bruce had just thrown at him, but it wasn’t much of a surprise when he failed to catch it and it smacked him in the arm before hitting the ground with a crash.

“Ow, Bruce! What the hell?” John yelled out and rubbed at his arm. “You know I bruise really fast!”

Bruce’s mouth was left agape, “Crap, sorry John.”

Tiffany gave Bruce a glare, “Smart Bruce, throw something at the guy that can’t see you.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Just take the flashlight,” he muttered and threw his arms up. “I’ll meet you back in the parlor.”

With a huff, Bruce went back into the small room, leaving them to fend for themselves.

 

* * *

 

Tiffany, now using the flashlight, led herself and John back to the room they had been in before. “I can’t believe he kicked us out,” Tiffany complained to John.

Periodically, the flashlight would flicker and turn off. Tiffany’s genius solution was hitting it until it would turn back on.

“Dammit, this stupid thing,” Tiffany groaned when the flashlight refused to turn back on. She glanced over to John behind her, who had stopped walking to stare out the window into the surrounding forests. She came up beside him to see what he was looking at.

There wasn’t much to see. It was still dark and storming, and the only thing that visually separated the forest from the clouds was the dim glow from the moon.

It was incredibly unlucky weather for Halloween night.

“It’s so scary out there,” she commented and John grinned.

“It almost feels like someone is out there, staring at us,” John paused, “Like, they’re waiting for us to see them.”

Tiffany nodded, “Like they’re going to jump out at us.” Tiffany and John huddled closer to the window, staring intensely out into the trees, waiting for something to happen. It was as if at any second, they’d see something. Any second the leaves would move and reveal someone out there, watching their every move…

“Anyway,” Tiffany said casually and the two turned away from the window, “the rooms right up here.”

They continued to make small talk as they situated themselves back in the parlor.

 

* * *

 

John was laying down on his back on the couch, smacking the flashlight to turn it back on every time it would flicker off. Tiffany had been messing around with the shelves and bookcases, reaching to feel everything in search for new batteries, or at least, anything to pass the time.

“A-hah!” Tiffany exclaimed, and John shot up to look at her.

“What did you find?” John asked excitedly.

Tiffany reached into her pocket and pulled out a small lighter to show him. “Nothing! But I forgot I had this!” Tiffany circled back to the mantel above the fireplace to grab three short candles that sat as the center piece; John didn’t hesitate to kneel at the coffee table and push the magazines and vase of dried flowers to the floor.

Once lit, the room finally had some light in it, though it was a creepy orange light, that made the shadows dance across the walls.

Tiffany laughed, “It feels like we’re having a séance or something.”

“Any ghosts in the room!?” John yelled out through his giggles. “We won’t bite!”

Tiffany, sitting across the coffee table, leaned back against the bottom of the couch. “Why would there be any ghosts lurking around?”

John gave her a look that asked if she was joking. “Bruce’s parents,” he stated, as if it was obvious.

She opened her mouth and closed it instantly. “Oh… yeah.”

She looked up above the fireplace. There was a spot high on the wall where she remembered a portrait of the deceased pair had once hung. Now it was gone, but there was a clear mark on the wallpaper that showed something was missing. There was a lot missing from this place now.

John grinned, “Maybe not the folks…” His voice lowered, “Maybe their _victims.”_

“Okay, that’s a million times worse.”

He continued, “All the people that died in Arkham. Do you know what it was like there?”

Tiffany slowly tried to move away from John, who in turn leaned closer over the table. “No…” She muttered quietly.

“Hearing the bumps in the night, the other inmates. The walls weren’t too thick, so every day, at every hour, you hear the _screams and the wails,_ people just pleading to get out.”

Tiffany cringed, “Why are you telling me this?”

“You could hear the _banging on the wall_!” John slammed his fist on the table, “One after the other!” He continued to hit the table top between every word. John was relishing this, milking every word. “Imagine that. Every night in your cell.”

Tiffany shoved her hands at John to stop him, “Okay, I get it! You can shut up now!”

“No matter where you were! You were never alone. There was always someone behind every door, looking at you through the cracks in the walls, always someone coming for you right around the corner.”

John giggled at Tiffany’s discomfort but instantly silenced himself when the two heard the ajar door slowly creak close, and then slam shut.

Their faces went cold, as they both stared at the door.

John swallowed the lump in his throat and quietly asked, “Hello, uhm- ghosts?”

The brass door knob rattled in response.

 

The door swung wide open and Bruce waltzed inside with a flourish. “Okay, so bad news—“ He stopped himself when he saw the two.

Random objects had been thrown to the floor, John was hiding behind the couch, trying to smother his giggles with a pillow, and Tiffany was face down on the rug, having very obviously tripped from her escape attempt. She lifted her head and stared at Bruce, who couldn’t conceal his look of utter confusion. “Oh, hey Bruce! Welcome back!”

He paused, as if trying to find the words. “What... is wrong with you two?”

“Nothing’s wrong!” She shot back. Bruce glanced over at John, who was laughing too hard to answer. Tiffany stood up as if nothing happened, and this time carefully stepped over the ottoman to face Bruce. “So, what’s the problem?” She asked.

Bruce raised a hand to his hearing aid, turning off his glowing contacts, and then placed his hands at his hips. “Unfortunately, we have no backup power. Our generator is long dead. We probably could have gotten one already if Alfred hadn’t left.”

Tiffany raised an eyebrow at Bruce, “Why didn’t _you_ just buy one?”

Bruce stared back, dumbfounded. “Because it’s Alfred’s job,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Tiffany paused, not quite knowing what to say to Bruce’s answer. She quickly decided to keep her opinions to herself and simply shook her head with a sigh. “Okay.”

Bruce turned away from her and smiled at the little alter they had set up on the coffee table. “I see you found your own lights.”

John chuckled and climbed over the backboard to sit. “Tiffany’s idea! And her lighter,” he muttered.

Bruce looked to Tiffany, a squint in his eyes. “Why do you have a lighter?” He asked accusingly.

She stared at him with her arms crossed. Her humorless face showed just how exasperated she was at Bruce’s question. “Are you serious right now, Bruce?”

He paused and turned away from her, “As long as you’re safe,” he said, his tone clearly that of an overprotective parent.

There were many times that Bruce felt himself to be the guardian of both John and Tiffany. Their wild and impulsive behavior sometimes made Bruce want to pull his own hair out, at least, in the beginning. But after all the time the three had spent together, after everything they went through, Bruce had learned to embrace the madness. It definitely helped to reduce the heavy wrinkles that formed on his face.

John interrupted what the two were previously arguing about, bringing the conversation back to the power outage. “Isn’t a blackout better though! A real ’ _All Hallows Eve’!”_ John said as he gestured wildly with his hands, as if displaying the words in front of him. “Bruce, do you ever get kids asking for candy!?”

Bruce smiled and sat down next to John. Tiffany followed after, and sat across from them on the floor.

“Of course not. I’d be concerned if parents took their children all the way out here just for one house. Also, there’s no sidewalk. So, it’d be really unsafe!”

Tiffany leaned her head on her hand, “Also it’s a big, dark, creepy forest… in the rain.” She paused. “I feel bad for Luke,” Tiffany started and then looked to John to explain, “my younger brother. He’s hanging out with some of his friends, so yeah. He’s getting poured on out there,” she laughed, a bit sadistically.

Bruce scoffed, “You’re a mean older sister, Tiffany.”

Tiffany let out a burst of laugh and leaned against the couch. “His fault for going out in the rain!”

Behind her, in the open door to the hallway, a white light instantly flashed on. From the end of the hall, not much of the light poured into the room, but it was just enough to be noticed, as all three turned to look at it.

“Looks like the flood lights are working,” Bruce stated. “Better late than never. Though…” Bruce paused and his frown made both Tiffany and John turn to look at him. “That means the backup security is also working.”

John scowled, “Backup security?”

“It means I have a system in place that if the power goes out, any motion in specific rooms, or if any doors are opened, then the police will be called to this location,” Bruce explained casually.

“Wait!” Tiffany shouted in Bruce’s face, “Does that mean we’re trapped in here?”

Bruce scoffed, “No. Just don’t go near the entrance to the cave, and don’t open any closed doors.”

“Buddy,” John grinned with a furrowed brow, “That sounds like we’re trapped.”

Bruce shrugged, and Tiffany laid down on the floor with a grumble. “Great. What we supposed to do while we wait for the power to come back?” She asked, as she flopped her hands to the floor with a huff.

John shot up at that. “I know a game!” His grin widened as he leaned so close to Bruce’s face, Bruce had to jump back. “You ever play ‘Never Have I Ever?’”

Tiffany mumbled an answer and Bruce smirked down at him in confirmation.

“We each have five points, and we play to win.”

Tiffany sighed and sat back up. “Fine,” she said reluctantly.

John smiled and looked expectantly at Bruce, eyes wide.

“Sure, I’ll give it a try.”

Bruce’s answer was such a relief to John, and he clapped his hands together with a giggle. “Awesome! Let’s get to know each other,” he said in a low voice.

 

Eventually, after some arguing, they decided that Tiffany should go first. Being kind to their guest, and all. The three all sat curled around the coffee table with a hand up, displaying their five fingers as their five points.

“Okay… Never have I ever gotten detention.”

John, not having lowered a finger, looked between Tiffany and Bruce. And Bruce slowly lowered a finger.

Tiffany laughed, “Yeah, you’re not gonna’ last long, Bruce.”

He smiled and shrugged.

It was Bruce’s turn and he thought for a moment. “I’ve never been in a talent show.” Bruce was surprised when Tiffany didn’t lower a finger. “Not you, Tiff?”

She scoffed, “Yeah, do I look like someone who’ll sing the national anthem in front of my entire school? Also!” She chuckled, “What talent would I even show off? Drafting blueprints?”

Bruce smiled and looked to John, who silently lowered a finger.

Tiffany gave him an odd look, “Really, you were in a talent show?” She asked him.

Bruce scoffed, “I didn’t know that. What talent did you perform?”

John rubbed at his neck, “Well… It wasn’t really a _talent show_ ,” he said with air quotes. “It was just something we had to do in Arkham.”

Bruce’s eyes widened in surprise, “Oh, well you don’t have to tells us—”

“But I want to! It’s a funny story!” John smiled. “We had to do a short play with the other inmates!” John gestured wildly while explaining. “I got stuck with that puppet freak Arnold Wesker! Remember him, Brucie? The guy with the talking puppet on his hand,” John said, as he mimed using a sock puppet.

Bruce nodded, “Yes, John, I remember him.”

John continued, “One star was already enough to deal with, but _two_ lead performers!?” John waved with his hands. “Though, I didn’t actually get to finish the play. I got so _sick_ of that guy I tried to shove that damn puppet _down his throat_!” John squeezed his fists together, as if he was crushing something in his hands. He looked up to Bruce with a smile, “Does that count?”

They were silent.

Bruce opened his mouth. “I… suppose.”

“Was the puppet okay?” Tiffany asked quietly.

John answered with a giggle.

Tiffany leaned back on her hands and sighed, “Man, Arkham sounds crazy.” Bruce snorted. “You never did tell me anything about when you got committed.” She looked to Bruce.

“And I never will,” Bruce said with a smile.

John scooted closer to Bruce into Tiffany’s field of vision. “I made a great first impression on the guy!”

She shot John a confused look. “Wait. You two _met_ in Arkham?”

Bruce gave a slight shrug, “Well, yeah.”

John cut in, “We did! It was love at first sight!”

“It wasn’t,” Bruce monotoned.

“Well, that’s not very nice,” John pouted. “This guy here was getting tazed in the _face_ by one of the orderlies! And I saved him!”

Bruce stared blankly at the floor, as he was forcibly reminded of their first introductions. “Yeah,” he said sharply.

Tiffany laughed, “You know, for you two? I see it.” She leaned her head back with a sigh. “You’ll have a great story to tell your grandkids,” her voice was dripping in sarcasm.

John lurched forward clutching his stomach, and Bruce cringed. “I don’t want kids!” John cackled.

“Yeah, I’m good. I already have enough to worry about with you two.” Bruce snickered.

Tiffany pointed at John, “Okay, okay. John, your turn.”

John hummed as he glanced up to the ceiling to think. “Never have I ever… left the country!”

Both Tiffany and Bruce lowered a finger.

“Doesn’t surprised me much, buddy!” John scoffed, “Guy like you probably pilots his own private jet!”

Bruce rolled his eyes, “Can’t say I do, but yes, I’ve left the country many times. I can’t remember how many trips I’ve taken to England. I’ve also been to France a few times,” he counted off on his fingers, “Japan, New Zealand, Haiti,” Bruce trailed off.

Tiffany interrupted him, “Yeah, we got it. You’re a crazy rich guy who can afford to go on stupid joy rides around the world.”

“You know, Tiffany,” John gestured for Tiffany to lean closer to him, “You probably shouldn’t be making fun of your boss so much,” he snickered.

Tiffany smiled, “Oh, Bruce knows I’m just joking.” She gave Bruce a playful shove to his shoulder with her fist. “We’re family, I’m allowed to make fun of him.”

John beamed, “I make fun of Bruce too, do I count as family?”

Bruce waved his hands to calm the two down. “How about none of us make fun of anyone?” He suggested hopefully. “Let’s just move on, its Tiffany’s turn.”

Tiffany surveyed her competition; herself and John with four points, and Bruce only with three, it was easy to see who she was going to pick on next.

“Never have I ever,” she glanced to Bruce with a mischievous look in her eyes, “been to France, Japan, New Zealand, or Haiti.”

John let out a loud burst of a laugh, and Bruce gave her a strict look.

“Play it fair, Tiffany.

Tiffany crossed her arms, a smug look plastered on her face. “I’ll play however I want.”

Bruce shook his head and lowered another finger. Only two left. Both John and Tiffany looked at each other with a sadistic smile, as they had the same idea on how to eliminate their opponents.

It was Bruce’s turn, and he thought long and hard about something that was both fair and obscure. “I’ve never crashed into something while skiing.”

No one lowered a finger.

Tiffany snorted, “That’s no fun. You have to target people, Bruce.”

“I’m playing fair, Tiff. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“And that’s why you’ll lose,” John muttered, trying to hide his amusement.

Bruce couldn’t help but feel a bit superior. “I’d rather lose honestly, than win by cheating.”

John muttered to himself, “You and your dumb rules.” He shot a wide-eyed smile at Bruce, “It’s way more fun to pick on your opponents! Like this!” He cleared his throat and looked to Tiffany. “Never have I ever been a woman.”

“Nice one,” Tiffany laughed, as she lowered a finger. She then immediately shot back, “Never have I ever been a man!”

Bruce couldn’t help but snicker at John’s karma. Now with only one point left, and Tiffany and John at equal threes, Bruce still decided to play the game by his rules.

“Never have I ever had to climb through a nest of scorpions.”

Tiffany cringed at Bruce, “Uh, yeah! Most of us haven’t, Bruce!”

John paused, “Not even as the _Bat Man_?”

Bruce shook his head. “Not even as Batman.” He raised an eyebrow, “Though, I did have to crawl through multiple sewers, and the nests of rats and bugs.”

Tiffany held her hand up, obviously not excited at where this conversation was headed, “Yeah, you can stop there.”

Bruce feigned hurt, “You don’t want to hear about how I had track down a human trafficker through the Gotham sewage systems? How I had Lucius create a new cowl so I could avoid spiders and worms crawling into my suit? And that’s not even mentioning the smell!” Bruce said all of this with a playful smirk.

“Bruce, that’s disgusting,” Tiffany asserted.

“It wasn’t exactly fun for me either.”

John groaned in disgust, “I _hate_ bugs! Always crawling on my bed, all over the floor. Subways are gross enough normally! So living in an abandoned one was even worse!” John shuddered, miming like he was wiping dust off his pants.

Bruce leaned closer to John, reached his hand over, and lightly tickled the back of John’s neck. Instantly, John’s hand came whipping around and inelegantly smacked Bruce in the face. Bruce jumped back, rubbing at his nose with a noise that mixed hurt with laughter. “Ow, John!”

John shot Bruce a glare, “Do that again, and you’re losing the arm!”

Tiffany, who had watched this all happen, covered her face with her hand to smother her laughter.

John resumed the game, “Never have I ever gotten my ears pierced.”

Tiffany gave John a bitter look, and John met her with an intense stare. She lowered a finger, and so did Bruce.

“Really?” She asked, “You got your ears pierced?”

“I actually did,” Bruce nodded, “Only one ear, and it was over ten years ago.”

John shouted out, “Show me!”

Bruce hesitated, “It’s, uhm- Not really there anymore. I mean, there’s a hole but…” He pointed to his right ear, or rather, what was left of it. “You can’t exactly tell anymore.”

John reached out and poked the massive chipped scar on his ear, he moved his finger in a long stroke along the ripped skin. Instantly, Bruce flinched and swatted his hand away.

“Stop that!” Bruce said with a whine.

John giggled, and then noticed that Bruce was no longer holding up a hand.

“You lost, buddy boy!”

Bruce smiled with a wave of his hand, “And I lost honestly.”

“Lost like a loser,” John muttered.

Tiffany raised an eyebrow, “As opposed to losing like a winner?”

Bruce scooted away from the two and stood up, sitting on the couch. It was a bit of effort, pulling himself up. Having hung up the cowl meant that Bruce had less opportunities to get out and stretch his muscles. And Bruce could feel it.

With Bruce out of the way, Tiffany and John focused entirely on each other. They were in this to win. And Tiffany was willing to fight dirty.

“Never have I ever dyed my hair.”

John grinned but didn’t lower his finger.

Tiffany stared at him. After a moment, Bruce also gave John a confused look. “John?” He asked.

John looked up to Bruce with an innocent smile. “It’s natural,” he said, pointing up to his head.

Bruce scoffed, and Tiffany shot her hand out to John’s. “Put your finger down!” With force, Tiffany shoved down John’s hand.

“I swear!” He scoffed. “Whatever,” he muttered to himself.

John turned his gaze to Tiffany. If she was going to target him, he’d do the same for her.

“Never have I ever made weapons for Batman!”

“Never have I ever had green hair!”

John paused, then shouted back to her, “Never have I ever had a dead dad!”

Tiffany practically gasped in reaction.

“John!” Bruce yelled out strictly. “You know that means me too, right?”

Tiffany huffed a breath, “You dick! Never have I ever been stuck in an asylum!”

Bruce sighed, tired of trying to be the voice of reason, “Again, that means me.”

“Never have I ever been rude!” John seethed.

“Like hell you haven’t! Never have I ever been an idiot!”

“ _Never have I ever been ugly!”_

Bruce jumped up from his seat, “Okay, I’m going to the bathroom,” Bruce said as the two continued to shout insults at each other. “I’m just going to leave you two…”

They didn’t even notice when he got up to leave. He made sure to keep the door open.

Deep in their argument, John, not being able to control his anger, grabbed the nearest object he could find, which happened to be a throw pillow, and flung it at Tiffany over the candles. Without even flinching, Tiffany smacked it away from her, right into the mantel, knocking everything over.

This quickly ended their fight, as the two of them jumped up to survey the damages.

“Good job, John!”

“I didn’t make you throw it into Bruce’s stuff, I was aiming for your _head_!”

The two tried to pick up the knickknacks’ that were sprawled out across the floor. Though, it was incredibly hard to see everything with only the dim light from the small candles.

“Bruce is going to kill us!” John exclaimed.

Tiffany shuddered, “I’m not worried about Bruce, I’m worried about _Alfred_!”

John giggled as he held up a small statue that seemed to be missing its head. “You think he’ll notice?”

Tiffany moaned in frustration, “ _Yes.”_

Amongst the fallen was an analog clock, a small potted plant, and a small folded up piece of paper. It was thick, like a post card. John had expected it to be trash, but he soon recognized it as he unfolded it.

It was the same get-well-soon card John had given Bruce the day at the funeral, when the two reunited after a year apart. It was folded up in multiple parts, presumably so it could fit inside Bruce’s pocket.

John was certainly surprised to find it. It was something he got on a whim, something he wasn’t even sure Bruce would appreciate. He had been so nervous to hand it over, like it was his first chance to impress a blind-date. It was a silly and stupid gesture John did so long ago, before the two had really made their connection.

But Bruce had kept it. Not only that, but he placed it as a reminder on the mantel.

John was overwhelmed.

Tiffany leaned over to look at what he was holding. “What’s that?”

John yanked it away from her view, “It’s nothing!” He immediately folded it back up and slide it into his pocket.

“Uh-huh,” Tiffany mumbled, unconvinced.

The two continued to place everything back to the way it was before. They were both so distracted, that they didn’t even hear footsteps creeping in from the hallway.

Tiffany grabbed one of the candles and held it close to the mantel, so she could get a closer look at the broken statue. “It’s barely noticeable—” She was interrupted as the candles suddenly blew out, and the room was plunged into darkness.

Tiffany bit her lip, “John! Where’s the lighter!”

“Around here?” John exclaimed, as he ran his hands over the coffee table in a desperate search. Tiffany dug her hands into her pockets.

John shouted from underneath the table, “Found it! Lets get this thing working!” John rolled the spark-wheel, and nothing happened. It clicked once more, then again and again. John jammed his thumb into the metal. “Come on, come on!”

Finally, it lit, and John could see, directly in front of him, illuminated only by the soft orange glow, was a dark face staring right at him.

John let out a screech as he grabbed Tiffany by her arm and flung her at the assailant. John jumped over the ottoman, but on the way over, his foot was caught on the edge, and he was sent face first to the ground.

The intruder caught Tiffany by her shoulders, keeping her from almost falling to the ground. Then, the same flickering flashlight lit up under the mysterious face, revealing a grinning and incredibly amused Bruce.

“Boo.”

John burst out laughing. “Bruce! That was so scary!”

Bruce looked over at John, who was still on the floor. “Hey, you said you wanted a real scare.”

Tiffany crossed her arms, “Real mature, Bruce,” she mocked, “And what the hell, John!?”

Bruce handed the flashlight to Tiffany, who picked up the dropped lighter and lit the candles. Bruce approached John and looked down at him with a smile.

“Hey John. How are you doing down there?”

John couldn’t keep in his giggles. “Great! I’m having a ball.”

Bruce extended his hand to John. “Need help?” He asked, and John took it. Though, he held on even after his feet were firmly planted to the ground.

Instead, he yanked Bruce closer to him and slapped a sloppy kiss to the side of Bruce’s mouth. “You always know how to make a guy swoon, buddy.”

Bruce wrapped his arms around John’s waist, pulling him closer. “Happy Halloween, John.”

John grinned, “You know, you could have worn the Bat-mask. _That_ would have been r _eal_ scary!”

Bruce cringed, “Uhm- Maybe next time.”

The two were about to lean in for another kiss, before Bruce pulled away, much to John’s disappointment.

“I almost forgot, I found someone in the hallway.” Bruce said as he pulled away from John and opened the door wider.

To everyone’s surprise, Alfred, carrying his luggage, came strolling through the doorway with an amused look on his face.

“Alfred!” John and Tiffany exclaimed in unison.

Tiffany and Alfred greeted each other with a soft hug, and as he was about to reach his hand out to shake John’s, John scooped him up in a tight and forceful embrace.

“Welcome home, Alf!” John said through Alfred’s awkwardness.

Alfred glanced over to Bruce as he gave John’s shoulder a light pat, “I hope I’m not interrupting anymore of your pranks, Bruce.”

Bruce shook his head with a smile, “I think that’s enough for tonight.”

Finally, John pulled away.

“You really are a child sometimes, Bruce,” Alfred scolded.

“I couldn’t resist. You should have seen their faces.”

Tiffany made a huff, and Alfred smiled. “Oh, I didn’t need to. I could hear the screaming from down the hall,” he mused.

Bruce picked up Alfred’s luggage and moved it closer into the room. “How was London, Alfred?”

“Oh, just the same as usual. The Pennyworth family sends their regards, Bruce.”

Bruce smiled.

“Though, I did have some trouble on my way back. This power outage made coming home and unlocking the front door quite difficult.”

Bruce chuckled and as he was about to ask Alfred to go on, without even thinking, Bruce shut the door behind him.

Everyone, including Bruce, froze and they all stared at him.

“Oh… My bad…”

“You just shut the door!” John shouted.

“Does that mean we’re locked inside!?” Tiffany yelled back and forth between Alfred and Bruce. Alfred could only shake his head.

“Only as long as we have no power. Which, from what I heard on the news, could be at a minimum of four hours.”

“Four hours? Really Al?” Bruce sighed and stomped his way to sit on the couch next to John, who had slumped over. “Remind me to get a new power grid for the city.”

Tiffany slouched on the couch, just the same as every else. “So, what do we do to pass the time?”

They all paused before John spoke.

“Round two of ‘Never Have I Ever’?”

**Author's Note:**

> Unlike the other [three fics ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/989412) I've written for this fandom, this one I had to finish in less than a month, so I could post it before Halloween!! Agh! Mourn me! This fic was also inspired partly by an actual 4 hour blackout at my house.
> 
> Credit to my editor [Lainpinky131](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lainpinky131)!
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!
> 
> If you want to support what I do, you can maybe buy me a [coffee](https://ko-fi.com/ChoPyArt)!  
> Or become a [patron ](https://www.patreon.com/ChoPyArt)and get exclusive content! 
> 
> Check out my art [Tumblr here!!](https://chocolatepyrusart.tumblr.com)  
> You can also talk to me about Juce, Batman, Venom or whatever at my personal [Tumblr here!!](http://chokit-pyrus.tumblr.com)


End file.
